Share

Drogba mentally unfit

Johannesburg - Didier Drogba will be tasked with leading Ivory Coast out against Burkina Faso on Monday, but is reportedly not in the right state of mind following the gun attack on Togo.

The striker had a conversation with Sparrow Hawks skipper Emmanuel Adebayor following the fatal incident in Cabinda, which is also home to the Elephants during the group phase of the African Nations Cup.

According to Togo midfielder Alaixys Romao, who plays for the French Ligue 1 club Grenoble, "there was a long discussion between Drogba and Adebayor. Drogba said he was fully aware of the psychological state that the Togo squad was in, and he too was not ready to play in this African Nations Cup."

The hitman has no choice but to pull on his captain's armband and lead his men out against The Stallions under increasing pressure from the Confederation of African Football, who also urged Togo to rescind their decision to withdraw from the tournament.

While Drogba and his team-mates are understandably shaken, their Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic remains defiant in the face of danger.

"Everybody here is confused and scared, but we want to play because we don't want to surrender to terrorists," he said.

"But I'm not scared because the army and police are all around. We're surrounded by them and there's almost no contact with the outside world.

"The players are a bit scared, but not me. I had good training - I lived through much worse things in Mostar [he was shot in the conflict in Bosnia]."
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE